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A review by meaganmart
The Cherished by Patricia Sarrafian Ward
4.0
I had put "The Cherished" towards the bottom of my to-be-read pile after seeing that it had received somewhat mixed reviews. I have to admit that I felt lukewarm at best about reading a run of the mill young adult thriller. I am happy to say, however, after finishing the novel, that "The Cherished" was a homerun. I'm not sure what was missing for other readers, but as a librarian that reads hundreds of middle grades and young adult novels each year I can say, without reservation, that "The Cherished" will be a smash hit for its target audience. The creeping, all-encompassing dread that Patricia Ward manages to build chapter after chapter, the way that she roped me in as a reader to suspend my disbelief in the imaginary, and honestly to be terrified by what might be going "bump" in the dark felt masterful.
Jo finds herself in the middle of an endless summer, wishing for any escape to provide her a respite from the suburban nightmare she finds herself living. A mother expecting a half-sibling that will be 17 years younger than she is with her staid and controlling stepfather, a Nana who won't ever let her forget that she doesn't fit the upper crust model she had dreamed of for her grandchildren, and a best friend who seems to already have one foot out the door. The letter from her father's mother, Gammy, comes as a surprise and a salvation as she discovers the old woman has left her a working farm in Vermont.
Her mother insists that she sell the property, but Jo becomes determined to see the farm in person. She hadn't been since a fateful trip over a decade ago that ended with her father being accused of custodial kidnapping.
Upon their arrival any dreams Jo may have had of a rural farm escape instantly disappear. The tenants that live on the land send chills up her spine, and the boarded up "Old House" emanates a chill that invades her nightmare and sends her backwards to hazy memories of that long ago visit. As Jo works to piece together the cryptic message left for her in her grandmother's will along with the stories her father used to tell her as a child, she's left to wonder, what if this place is one where the boundaries between worlds wears thin? And what if the stories she'd thought were bedtime tales for a little girl contain more truth than she'd ever imagined?
I will definitely be ordering copies of "The Cherished" for our collection. This is the perfect mid-winter book for teen readers looking for something spooky to occupy the long. dark nights. Perfect for those interested in the paranormal, and for those who enjoy their mystery with a side of horror, this will be a book I recommend again and again and one that I feel certain will be swapped around with the accompanying whisper "you won't BELIEVE..." Special thanks to NetGalley and to HarperTeen for providing an Advanced Reader's Copy of "The Cherished" in exchange for an unbiased review. I will be eagerly awaiting Ward's next effort!!
Jo finds herself in the middle of an endless summer, wishing for any escape to provide her a respite from the suburban nightmare she finds herself living. A mother expecting a half-sibling that will be 17 years younger than she is with her staid and controlling stepfather, a Nana who won't ever let her forget that she doesn't fit the upper crust model she had dreamed of for her grandchildren, and a best friend who seems to already have one foot out the door. The letter from her father's mother, Gammy, comes as a surprise and a salvation as she discovers the old woman has left her a working farm in Vermont.
Her mother insists that she sell the property, but Jo becomes determined to see the farm in person. She hadn't been since a fateful trip over a decade ago that ended with her father being accused of custodial kidnapping.
Upon their arrival any dreams Jo may have had of a rural farm escape instantly disappear. The tenants that live on the land send chills up her spine, and the boarded up "Old House" emanates a chill that invades her nightmare and sends her backwards to hazy memories of that long ago visit. As Jo works to piece together the cryptic message left for her in her grandmother's will along with the stories her father used to tell her as a child, she's left to wonder, what if this place is one where the boundaries between worlds wears thin? And what if the stories she'd thought were bedtime tales for a little girl contain more truth than she'd ever imagined?
I will definitely be ordering copies of "The Cherished" for our collection. This is the perfect mid-winter book for teen readers looking for something spooky to occupy the long. dark nights. Perfect for those interested in the paranormal, and for those who enjoy their mystery with a side of horror, this will be a book I recommend again and again and one that I feel certain will be swapped around with the accompanying whisper "you won't BELIEVE..." Special thanks to NetGalley and to HarperTeen for providing an Advanced Reader's Copy of "The Cherished" in exchange for an unbiased review. I will be eagerly awaiting Ward's next effort!!